Lightning flash-signal



(No Model.)

S. HAWKRIDGE.

LIGHTNING FLASH SIGNAL.

No. 390,123. Patented Sept. 25, 1888.

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UNITED STATES SAMUEL HAWKRlDG-E, OF HOBOKEN, NEYV JERSEY.

LIGHTNING FLASH-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,123, dated September 25, 1888. Application filed February 25, 1883. Serial No. 265,285. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL HAWKRIDGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken. in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for the Production of Flash-Lights, as will be hereinafter fully dcscribed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention and form apart of this specification.

The invention consists, first, in the construction of the lamp or torch with a series of burners arranged in line and slightly separated to provide airspaces between adjacent burners; second, in the combination, with a portable lamp or torch provided with a series of burners in line, of an ejector adapted to contain a supply of metallic magnesium or other powder, the said ejector being so arranged and connected with the lamp as to throw the pow der into the flame of thelamp in the direction of the line of burners; third, in details of construction and arrangement specifically pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Heretofore various substances and compositionssuch as chlorate of potash, gunpowder, gun-cotton, &c.have been employed to ignite the magnesium powder, and the use of these substances and compositions has always been attended with more or less danger, especially in the hands of inexperienced persons.

The main objects of my invention are to remove the element of danger by providing means for igniting the magnesium powder without the aid of explosives or other dangerous substances and compositions, and to provide a simple, convenient, and inexpensive apparatus capable of instant operation to produce flash-lights with certainty whenever required in carrying out the particular purposes for which such lights are or may be used.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 rep resents a side elevation of an apparatus constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the barrel of the ejector, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the front end or barrel of the lamp or torch.

A A designate the torch or lamp, the part marked A being the barrel or torch proper, and that marked A being the handle by which it is held or carried. The barrel A is tubular and has on its upper side a series of transverse cuts or notches, a, which form openings cornmunicating with the bore of the barrel, and practically serve as burners, through or from which the fluid with which the lamp is charged is burned. The barrel and handle may be conveniently formed of metal tubing-such as ordinary gas-pipe-by bending to the required shape, which, as illustrated in the drawings, resembles that of a pistol, plugging up the rear end, and cutting the notches or openings (1,. It may, if preferred, be made out of solid material by boring out the barrel.

B designates the ejector,which consists ofa tubular part fitted with caps 2' t", which screw upon its ends, and with a piston and piston rod or stem,which projects through one of the caps. The front cap, 2", is provided near its lower side with a nozzle, 9, through which the contents of the ejector are expelled by the forward movement of the piston.

h designates a screw-cap by which the noz zle isclosed when the apparatus is notin use.

By locating the nozzle 9 at-or in line with the lower side of the barrel of the ejector all the powder can be ejectcd,which would not be the case if it were located at a higher point.

The piston is composed of two metal plates or disks, b b, and an interposed disk of leather or other suitable material, which 'is clamped between the plates 1) Z), the latter being screwed upon the end of the piston-rod d. The pistonrod d projects through a central opening in the rear cap, 2', and its rear end carries a head or thumb-piece, f, against which the thumb or hand of the operator is pressed to move the piston forward, and the piston rod or stem d projects back over the handle in such relation to the latter as to adapt the apparatus to be held and operated with one hand. Between the headf and the cap 2' is a which the piston is moved back; The ejector is supported a short distance above the barrel A of the lamp by standards 7th.

The manner of using this apparatus is as follows; The barrel A is packed from the front end till past the rear openingawith somesuitable absorbent material which is capable of absorbing and holding a sufficient quantity of inflammable fluid of the character before specified. When ignited, it will burn through spring, e, by'

the openings a, the latter being sufficiently separated to provide air-spaces between the several jets of flame, thus permitting each separate jet to be more or less enveloped by air, whereby oxygen is more generouslysupplied, a more perfect combustion is effected, and less smoke is produced than when a single burner of a size suitable for the purpose is used. The barrel back of the openings a may serve as a reservoir to contain a supply of burning-fluid. The ejector is charged with magnesium powder by removing the front capyz, which is again screwed on atter the charge has been introduced. The apparatus being charged and the lamp or torch lighted, the operator presses the piston forward against the force of the spring 0, whereby a small quantity of the magnesium powder is ejected through the nozzleg into the ilame of the lamp, where it is instantly consumed, producing a bright flash. As soon as the piston is released, it is thrown back by the spring 6, when it is ready for the next op eration to produce the next flash.

This apparatus is capable of being operated with absolute cerlainty to produce flashlights at predetermined intervals of time, and is therefore admirably adapted to signaling by a prearranged code of flash-signals.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new.-

1. In an apparatus for producing flash lights, the combination of the lamp or torch consisting of a tube or barrel having in its upper side a series of openings to form burners, with an ejector adapted to contain a supply of powder used in producing the flash, the said ejector having a spring'retracted piston, substantially as shown and described.

2. In an apparatus for producing flashlights, the combination, with a tubular lamp or torch having a series of burners, of an ejector to contain and throw into the flames of the lamp the powder used for producing the flash, the said ejector having a spring-retracted piston the stem of which projects over the handle of the lamp or torch in position to be operated by the thumb of the operator, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a flash-light apparatus, the combination,with the lamp or torch,ofapowder ejeetor for flash-light apparatus, comprising a barrel, B, a spring-retracted piston whose stem projects from one end of the barrel, and a nozzle at the opposite end, through which the powder is ejected, the said nozzle being in line with the lowest part of the barrel, substantially as shown and described.

4-. The lamp or torch consisting of atubular body, A, and handle A, the said tubular body having a series of openings, at, in its up per side, in combination with an ejector, secured thereto by vertical standards or supports 7; k, the nozzle of the said eject-orpointing over the openings a, substantially as shown and described.

5. The lamp or torch consisting of a tubular body, A, having a handle, A, at one end, in combination with an ejector, B, having a piston, b b c, and a projecting pistonrod, (l, the said ejector being supported above the tubular body A by standards It It, and the said piston-rod projecting backward over the handle A, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL H AW KIRIDGE.

YVitn esses:

Joan CLARK, A It'LIlUR HAwKnIno n. 

